Jerusalem, City of God

Anyone who knows me, or really anyone that has spent more than 5 minutes with me, knows that if there is a song I will sing it.  Well our visit to Jerusalem proved to be no different.  Here is the tune de jour.  After a quiet rendition, I began my Bible Study.  I had a real goal of being completely prepared to enter the City of God.  My reading for the night was Isaiah 40. Read it here.  WHOA!  Here I was completely prepared to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  Um...yeah...not so much.  I think nothing prepares you for your first time in Jerusalem.  Certainly, I wasn't even close to prepared.  All day, Cubby kept asking me if I was okay, because I was so quiet.  You can understand his concern.  

We arrived through the Damascus Gate in the arab section.  Clearly bustling with activity and shops everywhere (mom you would have been already in Heaven).  We had no real time to shop so we pressed on. Moving quickly through the streets to the Christian Quarter and to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Here to learn more In this church, run by several different denominations, Calvary and the tomb of Christ are housed.  I was able to touch the ground of Golgotha and bless a cross on the table where Jesus' body was prepared for burial and stood outside the tomb of our risen Lord.  Cubby asked if I wanted to go in...who knows my response?

 “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen!..." Luke 24:5b-6a  


So incredibly humbling to be in that place, but the Western Wall was breathtaking.  The devotion and commitment amongst many of the orthodox Jews is overwhelming.  On the men's side they pray and they teach and they worship God.  Their prayers often are for the rebuilding of the Temple.  They believe this is as close to God as they can get on earth.  I think because of their dedication to prayer and worship they are right.  There is nothing magical about the wall itself although I think Jews would disagree, but what makes it special are the thousands of people who come daily to present their petitions to the Lord.  On the women's side devout women spend minutes and even hours praying God's word.  I was humbled to read Isaiah 40, from above, and present my petitions.  What a Glorious Day! Listen here.